Midnight Stroll
by Ignorance-Your New Best Friend
Summary: Harry finds Ginny completely and totally out of it. 'Calm down Harry. She's not going to kiss you. That would be ridiculous and crazy - besides, she doesn't think of you like that anymore. You don't think about her like that, do you. DO YOU' Safe T. OoTP
1. Chapter 1

**It's Saturday night and I have nowhere to go. I'm cool like that.**

**I wanted to do a Harry/Ginny fic. So here you go! I'm really curious as to how you think about this... **

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Chapter 1

Harry woke up sweating. He had had another nightmare.

But Ron's loud and even snores where extremely comforting as he tried to stop his heart from beating so fast.

It took him a few minutes to realize that he wasn't going to be able to get to sleep again.

He got out of the small camper bed and looked for his glasses.

Once he had found them, he set out for finding a watch, or a clock... anything.

Nope. Nothing.

He sat up and slipped his feet into his slippers.

He decided to have a midnight stroll. Why not?

Besides, he was starving. And Dobby would be willing to help out on that one.

He grabbed his cloak and opened the door, careful not to let it creak loudly because of his dorm-mates.

Then he realized why he was so annoyed.

Cho Chang.

Cho Chang broke into tears on their date. What the hell was that? That was stupid, that was.

But he still liked her, and wished that she wouldn't cry, or be annoyed when he had to go and meet Hermione, or take him to some frilly tea shop where Roger Davies snogged the face off of his girlfriend, making Harry feel extremely awkward and unsure of what to do next.

He started stomping extremely loudly, invisibility cloak or not.

He heard a meow and started tiptoeing again.

"Cho Chang," he muttered under his breath. Why did women have to be so damn complicated?

And then he heard something - laughter? No, that couldn't be right. It must be three in the morning or something, despite the fact he was feeling wide awake.

"Cho," he muttered under his breath again.

But the laughter got louder the closer to the Entrance Hall he got - that couldn't be right.

And then he saw her.

Ginny Weasley, sitting on the front door steps, laughing to herself like some sort of maniac.

Now, Harry was confronted with a bit of a dilemma. What did he do? Did he take the cloak of, risking his own exposure, but saving Ginny from what could be an angry Umbridge? Or did he just leave, and hope for the best.

"Harry!" Ginny gasped as Harry patted her on the shoulder. "What are you doing here?"

Harry frowned at her.

"Ginny..." he started, but she stood up abruptly.

"No," she said slowly. "Uh-huh. No," she said, tapping him on the nose. He blinked, but shook his head and came back to Earth.

"Listen, it's really late. If you're caught out here, let alone how you are-"

"What?" Ginny asked. "How I am? I'm fine!"

"Ginny, this is ridiculous. What the hell are you doing here?"

Ginny's face fell, but she bent in next to him and whispered in his ear, "I don't know!"

And then she dissolved into a fit of giggles.

Harry looked around wearily.

"Whoa! I'm _really_ drunk!" Ginny exclaimed, tripping over her own feet.

"Um... yeah," Harry said after blinking. "That happens when you um... drink."

"Yeah," Ginny agreed, hiccoughing. "But I didn't. That's the weird bit!"

And she started laughing again.

Harry wasn't completely sure of what to do. But that's what you did when you were drunk, right? You slept? He wouldn't know... and he was a year older than her. Wait... then how was _she_ drunk? He chewed the inside of his mouth, but ended up asking anyways.

"OK, shh, shh..." he said, covering her mouth with his hand. She stopped talking and grinned up at him. "What was the last thing you did?" he asked slowly, ignoring the wide grin underneath his hand uncertainly.

Ginny seemed to ponder this.

"Well..." she said as Harry removed his hand. "There was Fred. And then there was George..."

"Oh no..." Harry sighed.

"Yes!" she said. "I think I took the wrong drink. I'm not sure. You know, they were handing out drinks. I didn't want to take one, I'm not stupid!" she exclaimed.

Harry shook his head.

"You're not," he agreed.

"Anyways, I put my one down," she said, putting her hand down, "and then picked it up!"

She pointed at the ceiling.

"And then, I thought it was water! And when I drank, I got this really weird feeling..."

Harry shook his head.

Ginny started laughing again.

"Hermione likes Ron," she said between laughs.

"Erm, yeah... while we're on the subject... C'mon, Ginny. You need to sleep. Hopefully it'll wear off."

Harry didn't want to wake up Madam Pomfrey at this time of night, especially when this evidence would most definitely get Fred and George expelled.

"Yeah," Ginny sighed. "But I'm feeling really bad," she said, suddenly leaning her head into his chest.

"I'm sorry," Harry said, playing along and patting her back after a moment's hesitation.

"I'll get them for this," Ginny muttered into his chest.

"I bet you will," Harry said, as if he were talking to a four-year-old.

"Yeah..." Ginny sighed, putting her hands on his chest and pushing herself away from him. "Thanks for finding me, Harry," she said, gazing up at him.

"No problem," Harry shrugged, feeling extremely awkward. And he didn't like the thoughtful look on Ginny's face. "What?" he asked reluctantly. She was still leaning on his chest.

"Can - can I try something?" she asked quietly.

Harry frowned, heart beating fast.

"Erm... like what?" he asked.

She leaning up closer, and he was looking down at her, feeling increasingly more panicked.

_Calm down, Harry. She's not going to _kiss_ you. That would be ridiculous, and crazy... besides, she doesn't think of you like that anymore. _You_ don't think about her like that, do you?_

_Do you?_

_

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**Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**This is a fun little fic I conjured out of boredom. It's probably going to be at least 4 chapters long at the most... I forgot to mention that before... sorry!**

**Thanks for the reviews! Much appreciated! =D**

**Promise to review at the end of this chapter? **

**You know you wanna ;)**

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Chapter 2

Harry couldn't stop his heart from beating faster, and faster, and faster...

_What are you supposed to do?_ He asked himself. _You cant' just push her away, can you? _For some reason, pushing her away seemed like a very counterproductive thing to do.

_Snap out of it, Harry! She's not herself!_

But he couldn't bring himself to step away... in fact, he even closed his eyes.

_Stop being such an idiot and back away already! This is Ginny Weasley!_

His dillema was broken by a stifled giggle.

He opened his eyes to find Ginny in a giggling fit again.

He felt his ears burning along with his face, his throat and his stomach and he just wanted to die already. Where was Voldemort when you needed him?

_Stop being such an idiot!_ He reminded himself.

"'Oo's there?"

"Shit," Harry muttered to himself, grabbing his cloak out of his back pocket, grabbing Ginny from behind and covering her mouth as he tried to make the cloak cover both their feet.

Ginny stopped giggling, and Harry felt free to remove his hand from her mouth once more.

"Be quiet," he whispered into her ear. She nodded subtly as they watched a glow grow down the corridor, followed by Filch and Mrs Norris.

Harry started moving very slowly to his right, holding Ginny's elbows and moving her with him. She followed without protest as Filch started snooping around, muttering things like, "Children out of bed after hours..." to himself.

Harry himself was thinking _please don't laugh, please don't laugh_... as hard as he could and hoping that Ginny might have stumbled across Occlumensy in her four years at the school and was a great performer of the tricky method that was mind reading. But even _he_ knew that that was a long-shot.

"Over here," he whispered as loudly as he dared moving himself and Ginny behind a pillar. Ginny let out a small nod again.

"Filch can hear you, you vile vermin," the caretaker growled.

_Wow. What a nice guy._

He watched Filch the whole way, not daring to make too much of a noise and not daring to cough, whilst his throat was really itchy. Which was really annoying.

He wished that he had stayed in bed.

Not only had this trip caused him strange feelings over his best friend's sister, but it was most certainly going to get him detention.

He was counting the steps to the pillar that might save his life, and watching Filch prowl noisily away from their hiding spot. He knew that Ginny was watching too, because he felt her calm down under his grasp. Now, if she started laughing again... then there would be problems.

He breathed out into Ginny's hair as he lent against the pillar, holding Ginny tightly against him so that she couldn't move.

He wished more than ever that he could read minds now – he was stuck on whether she was going to burst out laughing or not.

And he wanted to know what grade he got on his idiocy test a minute ago.

"He's leaving," Ginny finally breathed, in was seemed like her normal voice.

"Just shh," Harry ordered quietly, wondering if she was back to normal.

"He's gone," she said defiantly and slightly loudly. Harry closed his eyes, waiting for Filch's voice to shout vermin or something similar. But he never came.

"Oh god," he sighed, letting go of Ginny's arms.

She giggled.

_Dammit_! Harry thought immediately, regretting the tiny space they had for just the two of them between the pillar and the wall.

_Alright, Harry_, he thought to himself, _just carefully move from behind her – she's in your way, but she shouldn't be offended..._

That all seemed to simple before Ginny turned around to face him.

He swallowed hard and immediately forgot his plan. Where was he again?

He blinked himself out of it and searched Ginny's face – she didn't look amused. She looked dead serious.

_Oh god. Filch! Come back!_

In the dim light that reached them, he found that he was looking right into her brown eyes, which were full of an emotion he couldn't quite pin.

_She's not in love with you, she's drunk! Or something! Just don't take advantage of her like this!_

He swallowed again and opened his mouth to speak.

"We should really get-"

She placed a finger on his lips.

His heart raced and that was all he could hear.

Bu-boom! Bu-boom! Bu-boom!

It was drumming in his ears, but in a way, he was thankful for it – now he couldn't hear the ridiculous rate of his breathing.

He wanted to speak, he wanted to say something, with all his heart he did – yet he wondered if that was his brain. Because for some idiot reason, his heart obviously wanted this. But nothing would reach his throat, yet alone emerge from his lips, which was where her finger was still placed.

Then she spoke, in a whisper.

"I still really, really want to try this. Let me?"

Harry's eyes were wide behind his glasses.

_Say no, say no! Say 'sorry, but not tonight, thanks'. Say it!_

Harry just stood there, frozen. Ginny was still looking at him, still waiting for a reply.

_No... don't nod! Do not nod your head! I am ordering you, do not nod your head in agreement! Don't do it!_

Too late.

_Shit. OK. This is what you get for not listening to me, your brain. It's nice to know that you use it... NOT! This is Ron's sister you're thinking about snogging, you idiot!_

But it was just a snog – it couldn't really do much harm, could it?

Harry felt horrified at how incredibly shallow he was being, and tried hard to keep his mind off of Ginny's eyes... but it was a hard thing to do when they were so... _pretty_. No! He needed to think straight! There must be a way out... even though he had nodded his head in agreement, and he had just practically asked her to snog him.

Alright... she was smiling slightly now. See? He was just making her happy. That was all. Then he realized that he was not a prostitute but a fifteen-year-old boy.

If he were a prostitute he'd be getting paid.

Ginny placed her hand on his shoulder and stared at it. He couldn't keep his eyes off of her. He was completely mesmerized.

She looked back up at him and it sent chills down his spine.

Ron doesn't have to know, he reminded himself. Could he really keep this away from Ron? This was ridiculous. Why couldn't he just sleep like normal people?

"Alright," Ginny breathed. Harry gulped. "Here goes..." she said.

He didn't dare close his eyes again – not after what happened last time.

"Whoops! Nicked your wand!" she shouted happily, brandishing Harry's phoenix-feather wand with amusement and breaking out from under the cloak and their hiding place.

Harry felt... ridiculed. Humiliated.

Like an idiot.

He felt like staying there, behind the pillar, all night long if he had to.

But he heard her shriek in surprise, and did not waste a second in emerging from his hiding place.

"Gotchaaaa!" Filch cried happily.

Oops.


	3. Chapter 3

**Yay! Thanks for all the reviews! Due to a request, I'ma gonna see if I can make this at least 5 chapters long :)

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Chapter 3

"Potter, 'ey? Think you can lurk around school 'ey?"

Harry wished he wouldn't say '_ey_' so much as he stood rooted to the spot, staring at Filch in the gloomy light, his cat purring around his feet. Ew.

"Well you can't. That's _my_ job." Filch pointed a filthy finger at his own chest.

Harry shook his head vigorously at Ginny, who was standing behind Filch and looking as if she might scream with laughter.

Filch frowned and looked behind him, where Ginny was dutifully forcing a straight face.

"We'll see about this. The High Inquisitor ought to 'ear about this."

"What about Dumbledore?" Harry asked.

Filch let out a low cackle.

"He'll be gone in no time."

Harry sighed - any other time he'd argue - but right now the tiredness had kicked in, and he just wanted to go to bed.

"Listen, I was just down here looking for G-"

"No, _you_ listen," Filch said. "We're going to see Umbridge whether you like it or not..."

Harry was watching Ginny wearily, who was looking extremely drowsy all of a sudden.

"Ginny?"

She was unconscious before she hit the floor.

oOo

"Merlin, Ginny..." Ron muttered as he came into the hospital wing the next morning. Harry jolted awake from the next bed.

"Ron!" he gasped, shaking himself awake.

"Harry," Ron frowned. "I was wondering where you were..."

Harry sat up and off of bed.

"Yeah, I kind of fell asleep here," he admitted.

"I gathered about that much," Ron said, sitting next to his unconscious sister. "Why?"

"Oh, I found her."

"They said that Flich found her."

"He did. Well, he found us, but-"

"What?" Ron asked, utter confusion on his face.

"Harry, Ron!" someone said, rushing towards them. Hermione let out a sigh as she looked at Ginny. "What happened?"

"Yeah, Harry, what happened?" Ron demanded.

"Why Harry?"

"He was with her."

Hermione gasped, and Harry rolled his eyes.

"It's not what it sounds like," he sighed – though that wasn't entirely true. "I couldn't sleep, so just decided to go for a midnight stroll, and I found her – a bit out of it, really."

There were two groans from behind them.

Madam Pomfrey emerged, livid, counted them and went back into her office muttering to herself.

"That would be our fault," Fred said, coming into his twin.

"We didn't think that she'd take it!" George said. "We just put it down..."

"And she picked it up," Fred said.

Hermione slapped him on the arm.

"That's extremely dangerous! And on your own sister!"

Fred shrugged. "We didn't know that the side effects would be so... negative." Hermione still looked livid. But for Harry, negative didn't seem like the right word – disastrous might be more to the point.

"What was it supposed to do actually?" he asked, confused yet curious.

"It was supposed to be like alcohol without the alcohol," George explained.

"That's ridiculous!" Hermione said, indignant.

"_You're_ ridiculous," Ginny groaned. Everybody shut up and looked at her as she rubbed her head. "W-what am I doing here?"

Fred smirked but Hermione hit him again.

"Filch and Harry found you out cold last night," Ron said, and Ginny massaged her head again.

Ginny looked at Harry, who looked away before looking back and coughing.

"Um yeah, that's what happened."

"Miss Pomfrey!" Hermione called out. Ron heaved out an annoyed sigh and sat back. "She can't remember a thing of what happened last night," she said worriedly yet dutifully as the matron arrived.

"Yes, well, I suppose that will were off. Or not-"

"_Or not_?" Hermione said at once.

"Hermione, it's OK. As long as I didn't do anything, I don't really mind."

Hermione looked at Ginny with a confused expression, but everyone else seemed at ease with the plan. Harry himself felt the most at ease with all this.

"Now, if you don't mind, I think Miss Weasley needs some more rest."

"I don't," Ginny assured her.

"Yes, you do. Argus Filch was extremely enthusiastic about your and Mr Potter's detention this afternoon."

Ginny let out a groan. "Detention?"

"You were out of bed after hours," Hermione said matter-of-factly.

Ginny glared at her.

"Plus, if you don't attend detention, you'll probably just be expelled," George pointed out.

"_Thanks_, George," Ginny said spitefully. "Thanks _so much_ for _standing up_ for your _little_ _sister_."

"Right," George said, laughing, but backing away with his brother, Ginny glaring at them all the way.

"Madam Pomfrey's right," Hermione said, grabbing Ron's arm and picking him up.

Harry nodded. "See you in detention," he said to Ginny, and she gave him a weak smile.

As he, Ron and Hermione left the hospital wing, he wondered... could she really not remember anything?

Did he want her to remember?

"Really weird that you found her though, isn't it?" Ron asked.

Harry shrugged, shaking the strange thoughts away.

"Yeah. Really weird," he agreed.

"But was she out cold when you found her?" Hermione asked. Hermione... how can someone with such a wide dislike of gossip be so nosy?

"Er..."

"So what was wrong with her?"

"Erm..."

"What did she do?"

"I really..."

"I bet she looked terrible-"

"Yeah, sure-"

"It's so good that you found her though-"

"I guess so..."

"I mean, I bet Filch wouldn't have found her otherwise – how did he find you?"

"Well I..."

"You can't have been making much noise if it was after hours, your not an idiot-"

"No, I'm not-"

"So what happened then?"

Harry stared at her, wondering if there were more coming. But she raised her eyebrows in emphasis. Harry looked at Ron, who was looking at him too.

"Alright, this is what happened-"

"Did you have your cloak?"

"OH MY GOD HERMIONE, SHUT UP!"

Hermione immediately quieted.

"I'm going to sleep," Harry said, shaking his head and backing away from Ron's scary outburst. "I'm exhausted. We'll talk later, alright?"

Hermione let out a mere nod as Ron said, "Okay mate."

Harry waved to them, but as soon as he was out of their sight he started to walk as fast as he could. He didn't even really notice Cho Chang as he said, "Hi Cho, bye Cho," and hurried past her.

As soon as he was in the clear of his dormitory he started hitting himself in the head.

"Stop having weird thoughts, Harry... weird thoughts are not good, Harry..."

"Erm, are you alright, Harry?"

Harry paused. That hadn't been his voice...

"Oh, hi Neville. I um..." he felt his insides squirm. "I thought I was alone."

"I gathered that," Neville said. "Alright. See you later."

Great, Harry. Well done. Now even _Neville_ thinks you're a freak.


	4. Chapter 4

**Yay! Thanks for all the reviews guys, here's another chapter :)**

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Chapter 4

Harry fell asleep minutes after Neville left. God knew he needed it.

oOo

"Harry," a voice woke him.

"Five more minutes," he mumbled into his pillow.

"We need to talk."

It was Hermione. Of course it was. Her bossy know-it-all voice was ordering him to get out of bed when he wanted – no, _needed_ sleep.

"I never slept last night, 'Mione," he groaned, turning over.

"I'm fully aware of that," Hermione said.

"So then go away!"

There was a silence. For a blissful moment, Harry actually thought that she had gone.

"We need to talk, Harry."

Harry groaned out loud and sat up.

"What?" he asked, annoyed. Hermione handed him his glasses.

"They were broken on the floor," she told him.

Harry blinked and took them. "I was tired, alright? Is that it?"

"_No_," Hermione said matter-of-factly as he put them on. "We need to talk about Ginny."

"That's nice," Harry said quickly, laying back down.

"Something happened when you found her, I know it did."

"Cool," Harry said, rolling over, his back to Hermoine.

"You can tell me, Harry."

"Tell you what?" Harry demanded at Ron's bed.

"Whatever happened that you're hiding from Ron!" Hermione said, her tone becoming annoyed now.

"I'm not hiding anything from Ron!" Harry insisted.

Hermione sighed and he heard her stand up from Neville's bed.

"Well then, have a nice detention. If you leave now, you might not be late."

Harry jumped up.

"Wha?" he said, glasses hanging off of his face, and Hermione smirked. He breathed out as he saw the time on his bedside table. "Not funny, Hermione!"

"Yes, well, it got you up, didn't it?"

Harry groaned and lunged for the bathroom and locked the door.

"Leave me alone!" he shouted as he didn't hear Hermione's footsteps leave the dorm.

"You're going to need to tell me sometime, Harry."

"Tell you _what_?" Harry demanded yet again. "And why – if something was up, which there isn't – do you think that I'd tell you?"

There was a small silence, but Harry wasn't going to be tricked into the false hope of her having left.

"You were saying her name in your sleep, you know."

Harry gritted his teeth and mentally punished himself. "No I wasn't," he said in the calmest voice he could muster.

"Yes, you were."

"No I - Just go away. You're being _really_ annoying."

"Just tell me and I'll leave."

"Why are you so insistent on the fact that something happened?"

"Because I know you, Harry. You nearly didn't dare look Ginny in the eye when she woke."

Harry rolled his eyes.

"You're making a big deal out of nothing, Hermione."

There was a pause. And then... "Did you kiss?"

Harry's stomach dropped in surprise at this accusation.

"No! What? I don't - Hermione, what the _hell_ are you talking about?"

This time he grinned when he heard nothing. He opened the door to prove his assumption that Hermione was turning pink.

"Sorry," she mumbled, staring at the floor. "I was just sure that something had happened!"

"Yeah, well, don't do that ever again. That's just weird. Weird images – in my brain," he said, frowning and holding a hand to his head.

Then Hermione looked at him, raising one eyebrow.

"So you've never thought about kissing her?"

The directness of Hermione's two assumptions were going to leave Harry in a heap on the floor if she didn't stop soon.

"What?" he laughed, looking sideways suspiciously. "No! I mean, of course not..."

Hermione stared at him, her nose scrunched up in concentration. It took everything for Harry not to look away.

"She stole my wand, alright?"

Hermione looked confused.

"I beg your pardon?"

"That's what she did. That's what was weird. She just randomly shouted, 'Whoops, nicked your wand' at the top of her lungs."

Hermione frowned.

"That doesn't sound like Ginny-"

"Because she wasn't Ginny, OK?"

Hermione didn't look too convinced.

"Right. If this makes you happy, sure, she's alright, I guess, but I don't think-"

_Harry, stop talking! Stop talking, Harry!_

Hermione's face lit up.

_Why the hell do you never listen to me?_

"You thing Ginny's _alright_?"

Harry saw that apparently, for a girl to be 'alright' for a boy was a big deal in Hermione's world, so he tried to act cool. "What's wrong with that? I think you're alright too."

Hermione's face fell. Harry tried not to let out a sigh of relief – mission accomplished.

"And I don't want to kiss you either," he then added, just to make things clear.

"Yes, well... alright. It was just that, I guessed it when you and Cho kissed, and I thought-"

"Cho," Harry breathed. He hadn't given Cho Chang a single thought since last night.

"What?" Hermione asked. "Do you want to talk about her?"

"What is _with_ you and the talking? I love you and stuff, Hermione, but really – go away."

Hermione bit her lip and Harry stared at her, one eyebrow raised.

"Oh, alright," she said. "But set your alarm. You look like you really need the sleep."

"And that's precisely why you're not letting me get any," Harry scolded, sitting on his bed and, this time, removing shoes.

"Sorry," she mumbled, closing the door behind her.

Harry closed his eyes blissfully, breathing out slowly.

_One sheep... two sheep..._

"What'd he say?"

He muffled his groan with his pillow as he heard Ron outside the door.

"He said that he doesn't like Ginny, OK?" Hermione whispered loudly. _Just let me sleep...!_ "I can't believe you taught me into doing that-"

"You said that he-!"

"Well, I'm not right all of the time, Ronald."

"Yes you are."

"No, I'm – urgh! Just let him sleep, if he falls asleep in Umbridge's detention he'll get his arm chopped off."

"Way to exaggerate..." Harry breathed out once more as he heard footsteps dying down. "Hey! Wait!" Harry gritted his teeth and closed his eyes hard, trying to stop himself from shouting out. "He doesn't like her! _You owe me five Galleons_!"

"Shut _up_, Ronald! What part of he needs sleep don't you understand?"

Sure. Hermione was one to talk.

Well, at least Harry had done some good in lying. Ron needed the money...

Oh, and _that_ makes it alright...

oOo

"Harry! _Harry_! Get up you lazy bast-"

Harry let out a great groan muffling Ron's shouts.

"Alright, alright... one day, you'll get detention. Believe me, you won't be too eager to get up either."

Ron shrugged.

"I'm never eager to get up."

Harry made a mental note to call Ron a lazy bastard the next day _he_ tried to sleep in.


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry guys, for not updating in a while, but I've had schooly things to do, sucky schooly things :( I'm really sorry, but I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!**

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Chapter 5

"I'm leaving - now," Harry said, but Ron wasn't listening. He was staring at his reflection in the bathroom with a weird expression, flexing his muscles. Harry blinked.

"Good luck," Ron said absently.

"Alright," Harry whispered to himself, leaving the dorm.

_Right, here you go Harry... you're going to be stuck with Ginny for a while. And she's not crazy. Because she wouldn't have done any of that unless she was crazy. But she's better now. She doesn't want to kiss you anymore. And you don't want to kiss her anymore. I mean, you never wanted to kiss her in the first place, but now you just want to kiss her less... don't you?_

"Oh my god, shut up voices in my head!"

"Alright crazy," someone said, and he jumped. Why did there always have to be people around when he talked to himself? Worse yet, why her? "Oops! Sorry to scare you," Ginny said as he started breathing a little more heavily.

"Oh, yeah... I'm really jumpy because of... Voldemort."

Wow. That had to be the lamest excuse ... ever. Or something! He mentally cursed himself, since he couldn't do it out loud anymore.

"Oh," Ginny said.

"Hmm..." Harry nodded. Freak. He was a freak, not Ginny. Malfoy had always been right. He was a scar-headed freak.

"I really hate Umbridges detentions," Ginny sighed. Harry's eyes flickered to her hand, and saw scars similar to his own. Ginny pulled a face and subconsciously stroked her hand.

"What did you do?" Harry asked, slightly horrified.

Ginny turned slightly pink. "Well, she was using you as an example for mentally unstable people... so I confronted her. After last night, I think I should be labeled a mentally unstable person."

Harry felt a surge of warmth towards Ginny Weasley, yet he also felt confusion at her naming herself mentally unstable.

"What do you-?"

"Potter, Weasley."

They had arrived at Umbridge's office and he hadn't even noticed. By the look on Ginny's face, she seemed slightly grateful at arriving.

Harry stared at her for a second in disbelief. She _had_ to remember last night.

"Come in. Your detention will begin now."

Ginny met Harry's eyes for a second but then looked away hastily and went into Umbridge's office. Harry saw it as following Ginny into Hell itself, but he didn't have much of a choice.

"It's going to be alright," Ginny suddenly whispered casually as they sat down in front of Umbridge's desk.

"OK," Umbridge said in a high voice, and Harry immediately looked away from Ginny. "You will each be writing_ I shall not go for midnight strolls_."

Ginny pursed her lips tightly, and normally Harry would be doing the same. But, firstly, that didn't seem very sinister at all, and secondly, he was very curious as to what Ginny had meant.

He stared at the quill in front of him, feeling Umbridge's eyes on him. Ginny had already picked hers up.

But she wasn't using it... and Umbridge noticed.

"Do it, girl!" she demanded. Ginny didn't look up, but put the quill to the paper. Harry looked at Umbridge, who was wearing a triumphant smile and glowing at him in an evil way. He clenched his free fist and but his own quill to the paper.

And then he heard it.

BOOM!

He looked at Umbridge, who looked taken aback.

BANG!

He looked at Ginny, who was hiding her face with her hair. But she was shaking... with laughter?

SMASH!

Umbridge jumped up from her seat, wand drawn.

"What's going on, Professor?" Ginny asked in a sweet voice. Umbridge looked at her suspiciously, but there was another deafening noise.

"Really, Professor, what is that noise?" Harry asked, catching on.

And then a light filled the office for a split second - Umbridge was at the door.

"Do not move!" she demanded before leaving.

Ginny and Harry waited for her footsteps to die down before they stood up.

"May I ask what the hell is going on?" Harry asked.

"Oh, Fred and George really owed me from yesterday," she said simply, struggling with the handle. "... It's locked!"

"Wait - Fred and George are doing what exactly?"

But the view from the office's window said it all.

"Alohamora," Ginny muttered, but had no luck.

"They're going to be expelled," Harry said surely as he looked at the fireworks, but he couldn't hide his admiration. "But this is really awesome," he then admitted. Ginny sighed and went over to him to look out of the window too.

"Yeah... but they want to get expelled. They were going to do it tomorrow, but I cornered them."

"Right," Harry said, getting bad memories of Ginny cornering him. Or not so bad memories... whatever.

He swallowed - the fireworks were nice and stuff, but having to be alone with Ginny meant that he would have to confront her. He couldn't be in her presence with the not knowing. She seemed to realize the back-fire her plan had taken too.

He turned to face her. "Listen, Ginny -"

Ginny looked at him, panicked.

"- You took my wand," he said, chickening out.

Ginny still looked frightened, but nodded all the same.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I was wondering why I had an extra wand in my pocket... it's in my dorm room. I didn't know it was yours," she apologized.

"Oh. Right." Harry did not like this. He wanted his wand back. "Ginny..." he started again. Right. He had to do this now. "You... um... you stole it."

Ginny stared at him for another few seconds and then looked away.

"Fine! You caught me!" Harry was surprised. "I remember everything, alright! It's terrible and I'm really sorry! But I wasn't myself, and if I made you feel awkward or... whatever, I'm really, really sorry."

Harry couldn't find the words to say anything - he had expected it to be harder than this.

"Oh," he finally said. "No problem - I mean, yeah. No, I mean... you remember everything?" he repeated again, needing ... more. He needed to know full on that she remembered what she had done.

Ginny looked extremely guilty.

"I just thought it'd be kind of easier to forget, you know. Listen, Harry, the last thing I want is for us to be awkward. I got over you, it's fine. I mean, that was my first year, and this is really embarrassing right now so I'm going to stop. But that was just a really weird day," she sighed.

"Yeah," Harry said, looking back out of the window.

That had been pretty full on.

"Sorry," she repeated again.

"It's fine," Harry sighed.

He felt... disappointed. Which was weird because he hadn't really been expecting anything. What was there to expect? She had only voiced what he had already known. Of course he had known that Ginny had kind of liked him when she was younger, and that she didn't like him anymore. _So why the disappointment? _Stupid voices in his head.

"Ooh, I hear footsteps. Stupid bat won't be happy until she sees blood on our hands," Ginny muttered, rushing to her seat.

Harry watched her for a few seconds, but she wasn't interested. She wasn't interested in him in anyway. Which was fine by him.

He sat back down reluctantly, and just in time, for the door opened.

"Potter? Weasley?"

"McGonagall!" Harry said gratefully, putting the quill back down.

"What are you - never mind. Go back to your dorms, it's late..."

Harry could sense the excitement and happiness in her voice, and understood that to mean that Umbridge was having a hard time.

"Sure," Ginny said, leaving before Harry could blink.

"Leave, Potter!" McGonagall repeated sternly.

"Oh, um... yeah," he said, bringing himself back to earth. "Right. See you tomorrow," he said in a not-there voice, leaving the office.

For a while, he absently wondered around the corridors. And then he realized that he was looking for Ginny.

"Weirdo," he muttered to himself.

A painting coughed loudly and looked down on Harry before saying, "I must agree."

Harry was welcomed into his dorm by Ron's loud snores... it wasn't that late. Heck, everyone else was probably just heading down to dinner.

He bent over Ron's sleeping figure and cleared his throat before shouting, "Get up you lazy bastard!"

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**There's gonna be another chapter! It's not over yet! :D**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm so sorry for not updating in a while, guys! And I completely place the blame on my teachers. Meanies. They make me do so much homework I can't update on my stories! Tut-tut!**

**But I really am sorry, and I hope that you like this chapter. Oh, and please review! :D I love your reviews :)**

**OOOOHH! Has anyone seen Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows yet? BECAUSE YOU SHOULD! It's amazingly amazing and if it were a person I'd hug and kiss it for being so amazing! **

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Chapter 6

"Hey, Harry."

"Yes, Ron," Harry sighed. Ron wasn't going to let him sleep after he had woken him up.

"D'you think Hermione likes anyone?"

"I don't know, Ron."

_These midnight talks are really boring._

_They are nothing like midnight walks..._

Harry had to say that in his brain because it rhymed. Kind of. In his head.

oOo

Harry didn't see Ginny at all over the next few days. If he had known better, he'd say that she was avoiding him. But he knew better... kind of.

"... And _that's_ why I think that we should probably arrange another DA meeting," Hermione was saying thoughtfully.

Ron let out a loud snore, and she slammed her book onto the grassy ground, shaking her head at Harry, who, himself, was just waking up too. Poor, poor, naive Hermione... she thought that Harry had been listening, what with the outdoors, and the lake looking so peaceful...

"Honestly," she sighed, shaking her head some more. Ron looked around sleepily.

"What did I do now?" he mumbled. And then he scowled at Harry. "It's your fault," he accused, pointing at him. "You completely broke my sleep cycle thingy!"

"You're sleep cycle thingy?" Harry repeated, amused.

"You know what I mean!" Ron growled.

"Watch out," Hermione warned, and the three of them ducked their heads. Most of the fireworks had died out, but there were the odd few that students had to dodge every now and then. As for Fred and George, they were denying all knowledge.

"They should really put them out," Hermione sighed.

"Oh, stop being such a party pooper," Ron dismissed, still impressed.

Hermione and Harry both looked at him.

"A _what_?" Hermione said slowly. Ron stopped smiling and looked confused.

Harry decided that this was his queue to leave.

"I'll see you at dinner," he said to Ron and Hermione, who were arguing about stupid things... right now they were on the fact that it was a miracle that Hermione never needed glasses, and Harry wondered how the hell they had gotten to there in the time he had spent standing up.

Harry knew that he did walk around without Ron and Hermione sometimes because really he just wanted to bump into Ginny whilst being alone.

But he didn't bump into Ginny.

"Cho," he gasped surprisedly, backing away. "Sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Bump into me?" she finished, red.

"No, I... not at all. Sorry," he said again, making his way to walk past her.

"Harry," she then said, placing a hand on his arm. He froze.

He had completely forgotten about everything that had gone on between them. He felt so stupid!

"Er... yeah?" he asked.

"I'm sorry for shouting at you," she said.

"Oh, well... that's nice," he said. "But I really have to go now-"

"I understand. You hate me now."

Harry's eyes widened.

"No! I don't _hate_ you, I-"

But Cho was already in tears.

"Don't... cry... again," Harry said, at loss, patting her on the back awkwardly.

"I'm so stupid!" she cried, flinging herself into his arms.

He was speechless.

He should be feeling something but he wasn't. Well, he was feeling awkward...

He carried on patting her on the back and started to feel his shoulder get wet. He didn't really know what to do as he looked around desperately for someone to help. And then he saw her.

"Luna!" he hissed as the dazed girl stopped skipping. He pointed at Cho in his arms and Luna stifled a giggle. Harry glared at her and she stopped, walking over to them.

"Now, now, Cho," she said, patting Cho on the back too. Cho looked up from Harry's shoulder to see Luna next to them.

"Oh," she gasped, face puffy and red.

"You don't have to be sad," Luna said, pulling Cho away from Harry gently. Harry managed a glance at his shoulder - it _was_ soaking wet. "Everything's alright," Luna said in a soothing voice. Cho was shaking with sobs again. "You don't have to cry on Harry..."

Harry shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Cho, I really do have to go..." he said, backing away.

"I - I understand," she said, hugging Luna instead. Luna didn't seem to mind a crying Cho as much as Harry did - actually, she didn't seem to mind much at all. He mouthed the word thanks as he started to walk faster down the corridor. He felt terrible at Cho's feelings but he also felt terrible holding her like that. She couldn't be too happy about that later... Ginny definitely hadn't been...

Just as he thought about her, he saw the long flaming red hair. He immediately started walking faster, but stopped a bit as he realized that she was with friends. But, one way, it was now or never - or just until the next time he could walk by her by chance.

"Ginny," he said loudly, and the group of girls immediately started giggling as they saw who had called her. Ginny scowled at them as he got closer. "I was wondering if I could um... talk to you."

She looked at him, slightly annoyed, but her friends kept on giggling.

"Fine!" she snapped, glowering at them all. Harry found this slightly amusing - Ginny didn't. She folded her arms and looked at him angrily. Harry was slightly confused. "I need to act like I hate you otherwise they won't leave me alone," she said in a scowling voice, and Harry nodded understandingly.

"How's this?" he muttered, before saying, "Why the _hell_ are you being so mean to me?" extremely loudly.

Ginny fought a smile.

"Because you're so damn _annoying_!" she shouted.

"Oh, I'm annoying?" he asked angrily, laughing on the inside. "_I'm_ annoying?"

"Yeah, you are!" Ginny said. "You're so..." she trailed off and stopped talking. Harry felt his face redden as hers did - he wasn't exactly sure why either. "This is still awkward," she sighed quietly. Harry's eyes flickered over to the friends who were trying to get closer.

"C'mon," he said, taking her arm and leading her somewhere else. He saw that she stuck her tongue out at her friends and laughed silently.

"We need to sort this out," he said definitely as soon as they had found an empty corridor.

"Yeah," Ginny agreed.

"You've been kind of avoiding me," Harry said, and Ginny nodded self-consciously.

"I know, I'm sorry - I'm not sure why, either."

"See, this is ridiculous. We're friends. We should be able to work this out."

Ginny nodded quietly again.

"It's nothing really," she said.

"Yeah," Harry agreed.

Ginny nodded some more. "I mean, it's really silly if you look at it one way."

"Yeah, really silly."

"Yeah."

"Silly."

They stood in silence for another few seconds, and then Ginny let out a groan.

"This isn't working! It's still awkward!" she said loudly and resignedly. Harry shook his head, at a loss.

"This really sucks."

"It sucks _a lot_!" Ginny said, annoyed, and then she hit herself on the head. "I'm so stupid!"

"Oh, c'mon, it's not your fault..."

"Yes, it is!"

"No, it's not."

"Yeah, it is."

Harry stared at her, knowing that there was no point arguing. Her chocolate brown eyes softened.

"Sorry," she muttered.

"You said that already."

"I don't think I can say it enough..." she sighed. "I mean, I had actually been working on that wand thing for a while."

Harry's eyes widened in surprise.

"You had?"

"Yeah. I mean, what happens when you're in a dangerous situation and you don't have a wand? Not that that situation was dangerous - or maybe it was - I'm sounding like an idiot again!"

They stood in silence again, and Ginny was biting her lip.

"You know what we should do?" Harry asked.

Ginny looked up.

"What?"

"Just... prove to each other that we have no romantic feelings for each other whatsoever." He couldn't believe that he had just said that word romantic, but he just couldn't stop talking. "I mean, once we've got everything sorted out, we can just move on, and laugh about it sometime," he said awkwardly. He felt himself go even redder (as if that were possible) as Ginny frowned at him. But then she caved.

"Fine," she sighed. "How are we supposed to do that then?"

"Er... well... how about we - I dunno... hug?"

Ginny let out a giggle but then forced a straight face.

"Fine," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Right," Harry said.

They stared at each other awkwardly, and then slowly placed themselves in each other's arms.

"You're shoulder's wet," Ginny mumbled as she placed her head on his shoulder.

"Er... yeah."

Harry was fighting the urge to say something, which would be, 'Your hair smells nice.' And that would just be stupid.

He wanted this to work. He wanted this to prove something... but nothing was precisely clear at this moment. The clearest things were that Ginny's hair smelled nice, and that his shoulder was wet.

"My chin's itchy," Ginny said quietly after a while. "Because you're shoulder's wet," she then explained.

"Oh. Sorry," Harry said, extremely reluctant (for some strange reason) to let go. Ginny lifted her head from his shoulder but didn't part them. Harry swallowed. "I... er... can I try something?"

His heart was beating furiously against his chest, he didn't know what he was saying. Sure, the words were coming out of his mouth, but that didn't seem to make any sense.

Ginny searched for his eyes but still not backing away out of the hug.

_Is that a good thing or a bad thing?_ Harry asked himself furiously. It definitely felt like a good thing.

"Only... only if you let me try something too," she whispered.

Harry's heart was now beating furiously against his Adam's apple.

He nodded numbly, searching her eyes for a hidden meaning. But for some reason he knew that it was clear.

"Do you want me to get Ginny off of you too?" a dreamy voice then asked.

Harry and Ginny jumped away from each other as fast as possible, only to see Luna looking at them, expectantly.

Harry opened and closed his mouth as Luna tilted her head in confusion. Ginny stared at her friend, amazed.

Harry looked at Ginny. He looked at Luna. He looked at Ginny again and, before thinking twice, grabbed her by the waist and kissed her on the lips quickly, before letting go and hurrying down the corridor and around the corner, leaving Ginny gobsmacked and pink.

"That was nice," Luna said admiringly.


	7. Chapter 7

**Alright - I'm a terrible person for not updating, but I truly just can't. An update a week is how it's gonna be guys :)**

**Oooh! And thanks for all of the reviews! Just because I can't reply them (I wish I could, but I'm really tight for time!) it doesn't mean I don't read them all and really really appreciate them :)**

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**Chapter 7

Harry knew as soon as he got to around the corridor that what he had just done was stupid. Not the kissing her part – the leaving part.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," he said to himself, hitting himself on the head. "Alright," he said out loud, and then decided that the best thing to do would be to finish the sentence in his head._ I'll go back, apologize, and..._

"Harry," Ron said, punching him on the arm playfully. "We were just looking for you."

Harry blinked out of his trance and looked at Ron and Hermione with a scared expression. "You – you were?"

"Er... yeah," Ron frowned. "It's dinner..."

Harry let out a breath. Ron didn't look mad. He knew nothing.

"Oh, yeah... food."

Ron took that statement to be a serious indicator that something was wrong, but Hermione got there before he did.

"Are you alright? You look a bit red," she said.

Harry's eyes widened.

"Oh..." How did she expect him to explain that? Harry knew the answer – she didn't.

Ron was looking at him with a worried expression.

"Is it... you-know-what?" he asked in a whisper, pointing at his own head.

"No, 'course not!" Harry said.

Hermione looked at him, raising her eyebrows. Harry fought the need to scowl at her. She obviously knew that something was up.

"Listen, guys, I'm not hungry-"

Ron let out a gasp, and Harry frowned at him.

"See you guys later?" he said, frowning at Ron.

"Or... not," Hermione said. Ron frowned at her. "We have prefect duties," she explained, annoyed, and Ron let out an, "Oh!"

"Oh," Harry said. "Well... see you later then."

He waved them away, and Hermione and Ron were silent as they walked down the corridor – he knew that they just didn't want to talk about him while he could hear. And, sure enough, he suddenly heard Hermione's frantic whispering.

As soon as they were actually out of sight, he went back to were he had left Ginny and Luna determinedly.

But they weren't there.

And that was the problem... he didn't know if he could find it in him to actually look for her. He would be way too scared by then.

He mentally slapped himself out of it.

The hug had been to prove no-romantic feelings. The kiss had been to...

The kiss had been because he had wanted to. And he was an idiot he if was going to start pretending that it was because he slipped.

He then realized that Ginny had probably gone to dinner. He wasn't sure if he should go if he had just told Ron and Hermione that he wasn't hungry - and going would just be so that he could talk to Ginny, and that would be completely uncalled for with Ron sitting at the same table.

But now he needed to get his thoughts organized - he would apologize to her and... then what?

"Where did you go?" someone asked.

Harry jumped - it was Luna. Again. Was she stalking him, or...?

"Oh, I... got lost," Harry said pathetically. Luna smiled serenely, but seemed to be mocking him. He frowned at her. "Where'd Ginny go?" he then asked before thinking. At all.

"Oh, I'm not sure," Luna said dreamily.

"What do you mean you're not- weren't you just with her?"

"Weren't you?"

Harry closed his eyes and breathed out slowly.

"You're right," he sighed. "I was. But I really need to talk to her... and I'd rather it... not be in front of loads of people."

He made a face and opened one eye to look at Luna, who looked - he dared say it - amused. But with the dreamy, out-of-this-world face that she always wore.

"You think it's funny," he said, annoyed.

"I think it's nice," Luna corrected. "I wish I had someone like me like that."

_Why is today awkward day? Oh, yeah... everyday is awkward day with Luna around!_

"Like what?" he asked, confused after his brain-exchange.

Luna let out a light laugh, and Harry was beginning to get scared. Luna was nice and all, but at night she was just scary, in a ghosty kind of way.

"Alright, sorry, I really have to go," he said. "But if you know where she could be..." he then added slowly.

Luna shook her head. "Sorry. She just went off saying something like, 'That was incredibly rude!'"

Harry's heart stopped, and Luna noticed.

"Oh, it's alright, I'm sure she liked it anyways."

Harry just stared at her for a second before saying, "Alright, thanks Luna," in an uncertain way. Luna smiled serenely at him and skipped down the hall.

After a while Harry gave up with his search of Ginny Weasley - she wasn't in the common room, or anywhere else he could think of. And, though he wasn't hungry, he decided that he should at least try the Great Hall.

People were leaving, but when they saw him, they started giggling to each other. Harry frowned at them as he walked past and then looked through the doors. He scanned the hall and quickly saw Ron's arms, waving frantically at him.

Harry decided that he was terrible at hiding, but he had looked directly at him - he couldn't pretend that he hadn't seen him.

"Harry!" Ron said as soon as Harry was in ear shot. Harry gave him a questioning look and got nothing - he looked at Hermione, who was staring at Harry in awe.

"What?" Harry asked, standing next to them. He noticed that a lot of people were looking at him - and that Ginny was nowhere in sight.

"Do you know what Lavender told us?" Ron asked nervously.

"Uh... no," Harry said. "I'm not psychic."

Ron looked at Hermione and relief washed over his face.

"He doesn't know, so it's not true!"

"He doesn't know what you're talking about!" Hermione scolded.

"Wait, what? What's going on?" Harry asked fearing the worst. Hermione looked at him.

"Lavender said that you and Ginny..."

She didn't finish, and Harry's heart was leaping around in his chest like some sort of animal. _So much for a lion heart_, he thought darkly to himself. He dared himself to look at Ron, who was turning red.

"Lavender said what?" Harry dared ask, fighting to keep his voice level and not knowing whether he should lie or not given the situation.

"That you kissed," Hermione whispered as if it were a bad swear word. Ron swallowed hard and Harry saw him clench his fists. Harry also felt as if he were going to faint - and he felt his face turn incredibly red.

"I... I..."

There was a light cough, and Harry and Hermione looked up - Ron spent another few seconds studying Harry's face, and Harry knew it. He tried hard to ignore it.

"Mr Potter," Umbridge's false sweet voice said. Harry clenched his teeth together. "You never made it to my detention."

"I made it there, Professor," Harry reminded her, trying extremely hard to keep his voice level - his heart was still hammering inside him and he felt ill from the accusation, and now his hate for this woman was overcoming him. "But-"

"I'm quite aware of what happened," Umbridge snapped. "My office, tomorrow night, after classes. And get the Weasley girl to come too."

Ron clenched his fists but Hermione put a warning hand on his, and he visibly calmed down.

Harry wished someone would calm _him_ down as he watched Umbridge march off.

Ron coughed loudly and Harry remembered were he was.

"You were saying," Ron said, and Harry felt him face the stone cold face of Ron once more.

"Ginny has a boyfriend," Hermione said, and Ron looked at her, eyes wide. "What?"

Ron hadn't seen Harry's heart visibly fall through his chest. Ginny did have a boyfriend! What the hell was he thinking?

"I just thought that I should remind him... even if he hasn't kissed her, just in case he thinks about doing it..."

Hermione's voice was distant because of the pounding of blood in his ears muffling all sound - but he still wanted it to just shut up.

"I mean, it's perfectly natural-"

"Hermione, shut up," Harry said loudly, coming back to normality.

"Please," Ron added, his face contorting into a weird expression.

Hermione closed her mouth and looked at both boys quietly.

"OK," she said in a whisper.

Ron turned back to Harry.

"So?" he asked again, raising an eyebrow. Harry blinked.

"Um... no. Of course not."

_Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid_.


	8. Chapter 8

**Update! Thank you guys so much for all of the reviews! God, they're so amazing! :D

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Chapter 8

Harry trudged back to the common room by himself. He knew that Ron and Hermione wouldn't have a chance to follow him because they had prefect duties. _Good_, he thought to himself.

He had given the 'usual spots' another look before finally retiring to the common room. He gave it a hopeful look around before the Fat Lady told him off for waiting in the doorway for too long.

So, he decided to wait it out, naturally.

_Come on, you can't leave it until tomorrow... that truly would be stupid._

He sat down in front of the fire and replayed his great mistake with Ron in his head again. But then he realized that that wasn't fun, so he closed his eyes and forced himself to think about something else.

So, since his eyes were closed, it was natural for him to be surprised when he felt a force hit him in the stomach.

He gasped and recoiled in surprise.

When he opened his eyes, he saw Ginny Weasley standing in front of him with her hands on her hips, looking frighteningly like Mrs Weasley.

"Ginny," he managed to gasp, clutching onto his stomach, wondering what she had hit him with. His eyes fell on the Transfiguration book she was holding.

"What is wrong with you?" Ginny demanded, throwing the book on the sofa next to him.

"What's wrong with me?" Harry asked, confused. He looked around the common room - the students there were staring at them - he silently thanked god or Merlin or whoever he had to thank that there were only about six people there.

"You don't just kiss a girl and walk away!"

Harry blinked and jumped up, ignoring the staring.

"Er... yeah," he said, heart beating against his chest furiously. Why had he been looking for her again? Oh, yeah... "I wanted to apologize for that-"

"Apologize?" Ginny asked loudly. "It's a little too late for that-"

"I looked for you, I swear I did! I just couldn't find you anywhere!"

"Like that's a believable excuse!"

Harry wondered what she meant, and then realized that if his heart had been into finding her, he would have just brought out his map...

He scratched his head subconsciously.

"Oh, yeah..." he said awkwardly.

"Oh, yeah," Ginny mimicked.

They stood there for a seconds, in which Ginny stared at him.

"So?" she asked impatiently.

"So what?" he asked absently.

"Your apology," she reminded him through gritted teeth.

"Oh, yeah! Sorry, um..." He cleared his throat. "I'm... sorry?"

It had sounded painfully like a question, but Ginny calmed down and folded her arms.

"Apology not accepted."

There was a collective gasp from around the common room, and Harry squirmed uncomfortably. He saw that Ginny was trying to hide a smirk.

"You're really enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Why yes, yes I am."

"Fine," Harry said, swallowing. "Apology taken back!"

Ginny's smirk faded.

"I beg your pardon?"

"You heard it! Apology taken back!"

Ginny scowled.

"Then apology accepted!" she said, annoyed.

Harry frowned. "You can't accept it because I took it back!"

"Yes I can!"

"No, you can't!"

"I can!"

"Fine then! Apology accepted _accepted_!"

"But...!"

Ginny's face contorted, and she was turning as red as Ron did when he accidentally made an inappropriate comment about Hermione with Hermione in the same room. Harry tried to work out whether Ginny's red face was a good thing or a bad thing. He decided on bad.

"I'm not speaking to you anymore," she finally decided.

"Oh, yeah, real mature!"

"You want mature? I'll give you mature!" she said, bringing out her wand. But then she stopped and looked thoughtful. She looked at her wand, she looked at Harry, and laughed. Harry blinked, and started to laugh too. He was rather concerned because he had no idea at what he was laughing at.

He decided that this was his chance and he skillfully steered Ginny towards the window and spoke quietly, so that the common room onlookers couldn't hear.

"I really am sorry, though," he told her. She nodded.

"I know. But it was still really rude of you."

Harry nodded. "I know." He paused. "But I still apologized."

Ginny raised her eyebrows at him, but said nothing.

Harry decided to look out of the window and hoped that Ginny might leave. He had apologized; mission accomplished.

Now what?

"Did it work?" Ginny asked quietly. Harry snapped out of it and looked back at her, confused.

"What work? I mean, what did - did what work?" he finally managed to ask.

Ginny shifted her weight uncomfortably.

"The hug. You know, to prove no romantic feelings."

Harry's eyes widened. She honestly wanted him to answer that?

"I want you to answer that," Ginny pointed out.

"Yeah, um... thanks," Harry said, scratching the back of his head absentmindedly. "I, uh... Please don't make me want to kiss you again," he blurted out. Ginny blinked and her eyes widened as she looked at Harry, who was wearing an extremely awkward expression. She obviously hadn't been expecting that.

"Oh..." she said, and Harry's insides squirmed uncomfortably.

"Sorry, that was incredibly awkward and uncomfortable," he said, laughing nervously, "It's my turn..." he joked, but Ginny just blinked again. "I'll be leaving now," he said, swallowing and stepping back so as to get away, just wishing that he could die or something. Or shut up - yeah, that would pretty much settle things.

"Harry..." Ginny tried.

"No, it's fine. Really, it is. I'm tired, and I'm going to just... lie on my bed and do nothing..." _And hope desperately for a time-turner_.

He turned around and looked at the common room - everyone immediately looked away from him - they had obviously been listening to every word.

"Great," he muttered to himself sarcastically. "Just wonderful."

Ginny was standing behind him, a hand on her head.

"I can't believe that I'm going to do this," Harry heard her say. He turned to see what she was talking about and she said, "Now it's my turn."

He frowned, confused, and looked behind him - Ron and Hermione had just walked through the portrait hole, and Ron looked in a vile mood. He turned back to Ginny, so as to excuse himself but she kissed him lightly on the lips and ran up to her dorm.

Harry froze for a second, unable to move. When he finally gained movement he turned around to see the entire common room staring at him - including Ron and Hermione.

"Hi guys," he said weakly, barely audible.


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks for all the reviews guys! Here's the next chapter... sorry for leaving you guys on a cliffy... I kind of didn't notice XD

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Chapter 9

Ron looked at Hermione, as if to ask 'Are you seeing this?'

Hermione did not meet eye contact, and looked out of the window behind Harry with a certain determination that Harry did not admire.

The entire common room was quiet, as if waiting quietly to see Ron's reaction. Harry desperately wished they wouldn't.

Hermione looked between Ron and Harry worriedly and swallowed.

"Ron, I think that-"

"Well?" Ron asked Harry, completely ignoring Hermione. Harry looked around and then back at him.

"Well... what?" he asked, confused.

Ron looked from side to side.

"Well that," he said, nodding at Harry. Harry looked even more confused.

"Well what?"

"That!"

"_What_?"

"That!

Harry shook his head.

"I honestly have no idea of what you're talking about."

Ron looked at Hermione, who winced as she fell under his gaze, and then around the common room.

"Did it really happen?" he asked around, a lost look on his face.

"Yes," the common room answered in chorus. They were all smiling, but their smiles faded as soon as they came under Harry's glare. Harry gritted his teeth. He had been so close to making Ron think it was all part of his imagination.

It would have been awesome if it had worked, though.

_Right_, Harry thought to himself seriously, _time for plan B_. _Which is...?_

"Ron, no... don't hit him..." Hermione scolded. Harry woke up to see that Ron had made to charge at him, but Hermione was holding onto his wand.

He panicked and backed away subconsciously, and Hermione nodded in agreement.

Ron looked at Harry. Then he looked at Hermione, and calmed down. She loosened her grip on his wand and he was gone.

"Ah!" Harry yelled as he saw Ron coming towards him, wand at the ready. The first thing that came to his mind was to run - so he did.

Hermione watched in distress and the common room erupted into laughter as Harry and Ron started running around the place, Harry throwing the furniture behind him so that Ron couldn't follow.

"Arg!" Ron exclaimed as a chair fell on his foot.

"Stop... stop it!" she tried, but it didn't work - Ron and Harry were on either side of an armchair, daring the other to move. Then Harry bolted for it and Ron followed.

Harry darted towards the portrait hole, and Hermione saw this as her chance - she grabbed him by his tie, nearly strangling him and he fell ungraciously onto the floor, with her still holding on. Ron had seen none of this coming, so, naturally, he tripped over Harry and landed on his face. Then the both were yanked up from the floor by their ties to be glared at by Hermione. The entire common room was now in silence.

"I'm taking points!" she said.

"You can't take points from fellow prefec- ow!"

Harry watched amused as Hermione tugged on Ron's tie, only to get an equal that nearly choked the life out of him.

"Hermione!" they both said at the same time, and she tugged on both of their ties again.

"Ow!" they both cried out as their heads were bashed together.

"_Hermione_ nothing!" she snapped as they rubbed their heads and shared a look. "Detention for both of you!"

"You can't give us detentio-"

"Go to bed! NOW!"

She let go of their ties and looked at them angrily.

"Bed," she growled.

Ron stumbled over backwards and then backed away. Harry watched Hermione with wide eyes. Hers were filled with angry tears.

"Hermione-"

"Now!"

Harry held his took off his tie for safety reasons and followed after Ron before thinking twice.

When he got into their dorm room Ron was already on his bed.

"She's barking," he said as Harry opened the door. And then he saw that it was Harry and he lowered his head and proceeded to take off his shoes.

Harry scratched the back of his head absently and sat on his own bed, even though everything was telling him not to. And he was kind of scared of Ron's shoe finding it's way to the back of his head.

They were the only ones in there... he could easily be murdered.

It was Ron that finally spoke again.

"Did you actually think that I would be stupid enough to think that it was part of my imagination?" he asked quietly. Harry's head shot up.

"Um... no?"

"Right. Because it looked like you did."

"Oh. Yeah."

"You hurt my foot."

Harry looked around - Ron was massaging his foot.

"Yeah, well, you hurt my everything when you fell on me," Harry snapped back.

"That wasn't my fault!" Ron said, annoyed. Then he paused. "It was Hermione... she's barking," he said again.

"Yeah," Harry agreed. "Very."

"I mean, she's totally mental."

"You said that already."

"Yeah, I did."

There was another pause.

"If I wasn't tired, I'd be after you right now."

Harry frowned to see Ron getting into bed.

"Er... thanks?"

"But Hermione nearly killed me. So I'm going to sleep."

"Alright..." Harry said wearily.

"I'll try and kill you again in the morning."

"Oh..."

Ron yawned loudly.

"'Night."

"Sure," Harry said, frowning a bit.


	10. Chapter 10

**Lol, this story is turning out to be longer than I had originally intended ;)**

**And, once again, you guys all prove to be awesome reviewers!**

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Chapter 10

Harry was amazed at the fact that he had managed to sleep through the night, but he supposed that a lot had to do with the fact that Ron wouldn't actually _kill_ him... Dean, Seamus or Neville would stop him from going to far.

But, still half-asleep, he could hear a muffled sound of someone being hit... after a while he realized that that was the real world. He rolled over and rubbed his eyes, forcing the sleep off of him.

Then he paused as he saw what seemed to be a person with fiery red using something extremely big and white to hit whoever might be in Ron's bed.

He grabbed for his glasses while hearing, "Ah! Gerrof!" and saw Neville and Dean before he saw anyone else... they were just waking up, and were looking at Ron's bed, alarmed whilst simultaneously hiding under their own covers.

Harry frowned and looked towards Ron's bed, panicked, and then almost did as Dean and Neville.

"Ginny!" Harry exclaimed as soon as Ginny came into focus.

"You - _Attacked_ him?" Ginny was saying as she hit Ron with a pillow, again and again. Now that everything had taken shape in Harry's eyes, this actually seemed rather amusing, what with Ron curled up in a fetal position, covering his head with his arms and Ginny on her knees on the bed hitting him, her face hidden by her long red hair. "I can snog whoever I damn well want to!"

"Harry!" Ron pleaded as soon as he caught a glance of Harry getting out of bed from between his arms. "Get her off me!"

Harry shrugged and walked over to watch.

"You _did_ attack me," he said, shrugging. Ron managed to give Harry a pained look before he recoiled again as the pillow came down on him. Harry sighed. "Hi, Ginny," he said.

"Oh, hi," Ginny said, a little breathlessly, stopping hitting her brother and pushing her hair behind her ears casually. "Did he hurt you?" she asked Harry, getting off of the bed. Ron looked up through his arms with a lost look on his face, only to then look at Harry with a scared expression.

"Well..." Harry said, looking at Ron, who gave Harry a pleading look. "No, not really."

"Good," Ginny sighed, throwing the pillow on the floor beside her and walking out. Dean, Seamus and Neville watched her, eyes wide.

"Ron," Seamus finally said in a whisper. "You're sister's amazing."

Harry heard Ron growl, only ever so quietly, and he laughed.

The funny thing was, as Ron growled at Seamus' comment, the pillow seemed to lift itself from the floor and start whacking him again.

"I heard that!" a voice said from outside, and everyone but Ron erupted into laughter.

oOo

Ron barely spoke to Harry after that - he did get dressed and walk out of the dorm with Harry, but he barely spoke to him. Harry reckoned that it was more out of shock than anything else.

Hermione was waiting for them nervously in the common room - as she saw Harry and Ron come down together, she let out a gasp of surprise.

"You're both ali-" she stopped speaking and coughed. "You're both fine," she rephrased hastily. Ron let out a low grunt and Hermione shot Harry a panicked look behind Ron's back. All Harry could do was suppress a grin and shrug.

Ron ate breakfast quietly (for him) and Hermione ate it nervously and neatly. Harry just dug in, deep in thought, not completely sure where recent events left him and Ginny.

It was a while before he noticed that people were pointing and nodding, and perhaps even laughing at him from all over the Great Hall.

"Harry," Hermione whispered, confused.

"Yeah, I think I noticed," Harry mumbled, annoyed. Even Ron seemed mildly interested in why everyone was suddenly interested in Harry.

"It's probably just You-Know-Who stuff," Ron said, and Harry was taken aback by these words of comfort. Ron reached over and took a newspaper off of a third year and scanned it as Hermione watched half-disapprovingly half-worriedly. "Nope," Ron finally said. "Nothing. Maybe your hair's just sticking out at an odd angle or something..."

"Oh, yes, Ronald, that's exactly it," Hermione snapped. "People are ever so interested in Harry's _hair_."

"No need to get snappy about it," Ron said, annoyed. "It was just a suggestion..."

But it took them until they were out of the Great Hall to find out what was exactly wrong.

"Potter. Hey, Potter! Scarhead!"

Harry had been trying hard to ignore Draco Malfoy but failed as his head snapped around.

"What, Malfoy?" he asked hotly. And then he watched surprised, as Malfoy stepped back in fear.

"Oh, sorry Mr Potter... just don't set your girlfriend on me."

Ron went red and Harry and Hermione watched as the small group of Slytherins dissolved into laughter.

"Get her to do your dirty work, do you Potter?" Pansy shrieked happily.

Ron clenched his fists.

"Why you-"

"Ron!"

Hermione grabbed Ron by the fist and Harry by the arm and steered them away from the Slytherins, since they both looked as if they would attack at any second.

The rest of the day went on like this - in various classes the Slytherins and others would attack Harry for not 'manning up' and getting Ron himself, something that Ron wasn't too fond of either, and Hermione could only do so much.

"Mr Weasley, I would appreciate it if you would lower your wand in my class," Snape said dryly, but Ron didn't seem to happy to bring his wand away from Malfoy's face. "Twenty points from Gryffindor."

"He's insulting my sister!" Ron said, annoyed, not lowering his wand as Harry watched Hermione bury her head in her hands.

"I'm not," Malfoy assured Snape. "If anything, I'm complementing her!" And then he added under his breath, "Gave you a right bash, didn't she Weasel?"

"Compliments are normally well received, Mr Weasley," Snape said, choosing not to hear Malfoy's quiet comment. "And there is no use for wands in this class." He held out his hand and Ron stared at it before giving up and handing it over. "Detention later," Snape then added.

Ron's face contorted.

"But I gave you my wand!"

"Malfoy's potion failed, which I guarantee wouldn't have happened if you hadn't threatened him, therefore distracting him from the task at hand."

"I can guarantee my fist in his face," Ron muttered under his breath, and Snape gave him a sharp look.

"After classes, before dinner," he said dryly before giving Malfoy a high note for his 'failed' potion.

"He put me with Malfoy on purpose!" Ron said, outraged as soon as he got out of the classroom. Harry and Hermione were quiet since they had been paired together and avoided unwanted comments. "I bet that he knows too."

"I'm the only one who hasn't got detention later," Hermione sighed. Ron looked at her since she had sounded annoyed. "What?" she asked. "You're my only friends. I'm going to be stuck on my own all night."

"Don't worry, keep your head down, do some homework, it'll all be over," Ron commented sourly.

Harry said nothing, since he had been reminded with a pang that he had detention - with Ginny - again.

He cleared his throat loudly, and Hermione immediately understood and backed away.

"Listen, Ron," Harry said. "About this morning..."

Ron turned to look at him with an impassive face. Hermione nudged him expectantly and he shrugged.

"What is there to say? You kissed my sister, I attacked you, Hermione attacked us, my sister attacked me with a pillow and now I'm being humiliated, along with you, in front of the whole school."

Harry blinked.

"Um... yeah. That about sums it up... _But... _your sister kissed _me_..." he caught Hermione's eye as she shook her head frantically from behind Ron. Ron himself was shaking his head.

"Not cool."


	11. Chapter 11

**Sorry for how long it took me to update, I've been swamped... I have too many stories! fail. It's a short chapter, but it's how it's gotta be.**

** Happy Holidays everyone!**

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Chapter 11

Harry made his way to lunch that day still not completely sure whether Ron was OK with it or not. Hermione had practically dragged Harry away from Ron as soon as Harry had somehow moved on to blabber about Ginny's hair smelling nice. Harry hadn't actually cared about Hermione's interjection, but he also found that he didn't care about his blabbering. Ginny's hair _did_ smell nice.

"_Honestly_, Harry, it's as if you _want_ him to hit you..."

"I don't want him to hit me! I don't see why he has to anyways!"

"Oh, I don't know," Hermione sighed, shrugging her shoulders. "It's just a big brother thing, isn't it? I wouldn't know, seeing as I don't have any brothers."

"Well, I don't either," Harry reminded her, "but I doubt that they'd come after Ginny."

"It's a girl thing," Hermione explained. "If you were a girl, they probably would."

"Does that mean that I'd be gay?" Harry asked, confused as to why his imaginary older brothers were going after Ginny.

"Oh, I don't know, do I?" Hermione said. "And probably, yes."

"What?"

"If you were to spontaneously turn into a girl, you probably would be gay," she said matter-of-factly. Harry raised one confused eyebrow, and spoke slowly.

"Gay as in I'd suddenly like guys-"

Hermione shook her head, cutting him off. "I think that you'd still like girls, that's the gay part."

"What? No it isn't! The gay part is me _spontaneously turning into _a girl!" Harry pointed out, starting to get _very_ confused. Even more confused as before. "If I started to like boys, that would be a gay part too!"

"It's just a hypothetical situation-"

"Under _what_ circumstances? When would I _ever_ spontaneously turn into a girl?"

"I- Wait, why on Earth are we having this conversation?"

Harry paused.

"I honestly have no idea."

Hermione laughed and shook her head, and he knew that it was because, finally, she was as confused as he was in a non-life/death situation.

Or so he thought.

"Hey, Potter!"

He looked at Hermione before realizing that she probably wouldn't call him 'Potter' in any situation and let alone with a boy's voice, unless she was to spontaneously turn into a boy. _Seriously_.

Both Harry and Hermione turned around to see Michael Corner (Ginny's boyfriend...) make his way towards them.

"Oh," Hermione said in a small voice.

"Yes _oh_," Michael said, hearing her and coming to a halt before them. "Well," he said, looking at Harry.

To Harry's surprise, Hermione suddenly let out a huge sigh before he could say, 'Well what?'

"Oh no, not you too," she said, annoyed. Harry looked at her nervously.

"What are you talking about, Hermione?" he asked her, hoping that she'd catch onto his denial plan. Michael was looking at her curiously, and she sighed loudly again before turning to him.

"Yes, Harry kissed Ginny. Yes, Ginny kissed Harry."

"Hermione-"

"Yes, Ginny then attacked her brother, Ron, with a pillow because said brother had threatened Harry about it."

"Hermione-"

"Yes, Harry knew that she was dating you..."

"Really, Hermione-"

"... But also, yes, Ginny knew that Cho was dating Harry."

Harry also knew that Hermione could shut up right about now. He closed his eyes, bracing himself for what was going to come.

"So, in my opinion, they're both as bad as each other and you should forget about both of them and move on with your life."

Nothing hit him. He opened one eye to look at Hermione, who was smiling triumphantly. He was very confused and feeling kind of hopeful so he opened the other eye and looked at Michael, who was staring at him curiously.

Michael then turned to Hermione.

"They did _what_?"

Harry glanced at Hermione, who's smile fell.

"I've been in the hospital wing all night! What happened?"

"You said _oh_!" Hermione argued nervously, looking at Harry pleadingly. "He said _oh_!"

"Hell yeah I said oh! I was coming to get you to tell off those Weasley twins! Perhaps kick them out of the," he mouthed 'DA'. "They put something in my drink... I had boils! _Everywhere_!"

Harry coughed.

"You're dating Ginny, huh?" he asked casually. "I had no idea-"

"I told you, yesterday!" Hermione said, slapping his arm.

"Not helping," Harry hissed at her through gritted teeth, and she fell quiet.

Michael put his hand to his head.

"I'm... I'm just going to go now," he said, swallowing. Harry stared at him, eyes wide, and felt terrible. "See you guys... later," he breathed, walking away.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Harry turned to Hermione again.

"Hermione!" he said, annoyed. "You broke the guy's heart!"

"Oh, _I_ broke it, did I?"

"If you hadn't told him all that-"

"I was just trying to help!" Hermione argued heatedly, though she still looked embarrassed. "Besides, if I hadn't told him, somebody else would have!"

Harry opened and closed his mouth, deciding against swearing at Hermione.

"Just... _Never_ help again! You and Dobby are going to be the death of me..."


	12. Chapter 12

**I suck guys, and I know it. Sorry for how long it's taken me to update! I suck. :( This is probably the last chapter:**

Chapter 12

Hermione was quiet for the rest of lunch, and Harry kept on sending her disbelieving looks. He couldn't believe that she had just done that! He kept on staring at her and shaking his head in disbelief - he couldn't help it.

When they got into the Great Hall, Harry was surprised to see Michael already sitting at the Ravenclaw table. He looked at Hermione, who had seen him too. She nodded firmly to herself and marched up to where he was sitting, only to turn to the Gryffindor table and look down at Fred and George.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor! Each!"

Fred and George gave each other bewildered looks, but then shrugged and went back to their food. Hermione looked at Michael, who was staring at her, and nodded in a rather salute-like way. Harry groaned and went up to her as she sat down a bit further down the table, next to Ron. He hesitated before sitting down with them.

"What did you do that for?" Ron asked Hermione. Hermione's firm look disappeared and she pouted.

"I honestly don't really know..."

"You took points off of your own house and you _don't really know_?" he clarified.

Hermione frowned at him. "I can't just _not_ take points off of them because we're in the same house!" she cried.

"So you _do_ know why you took points off then?"

Hermione opened and closed her mouth, and Harry cut in.

"Long story," he explained shortly. Ron gave him an odd look and Harry then hid his face behind his goblet. There was an extremely uncomfortable silence, and Harry felt the horrible need to fill it with small-talk. _Don't say anything, don't speak, whatever you say will be stupid_. "So, I forgot to ask you guys, Ron, why were you so pissed when you got back to the common room last night?" _There_. Ron stared at him, disbelieving, and Hermione winced next to him. "I mean, before you, you know..."

Hermione let out a gasp of recognition.

"Oh!" she said. "That!" She looked at Ron and raised her eyebrows, and his mouth formed another 'O'.

"Oh, _yeah_! _That_!"

_Phew_.

"Well, we were just ... taking," Hermione said. "And then we were interrupted."

Harry thought that that sounded odd. Ron was pissed because they were talking and then they were interrupted...?

"Um... what were you talking about?" Harry asked slowly.

Ron and Hermione exchanged looks.

"We were talking about... about..."

"The weather," Hermione put in, and Ron nodded.

"Yeah, that. It's been really rainy lately..."

"It's sunny today," Hermione observed.

"Yeah, but it was raining yesterday, and it's gonna rain again tomorrow, by the looks of it..."

"See?" Hermione said to Harry matter-of-factly. Harry frowned, but decided that it would be best to leave it. They would probably end up arguing about the weather anyways.

"Who interrupted you?"

"Michael Corner," Ron answered. Hermione nodded, and Harry's brain processed the information - but Hermione got there first.

"Wait, what?" she asked Ron.

Ron blinked. "You were there..."

"I _know_ I was there..." She looked at Harry.

"He said that he was in the Hospital Wing all night!" Harry said.

"He lied!" Hermione gasped.

"Why would he do that?" Harry wondered aloud.

They both sat in silence as Ron watched them, confused.

"What are you talking about?" he finally said definitely. Hermione looked at him, lost, and opened her mouth to speak, but she closed it instantly and looked at her food. Both boys exchanged confused looks at Hermione's actions but then Ron choked loudly on a piece of chicken he had been devouring. Hermione patted him on the back and Harry watched, confused, and nearly didn't notice a red head sit down next to him.

"Oh, grow up already," Ginny snapped at her brother, and Harry jumped so hard the contents of his goblet fell onto the table, soaking his chips. "Oh, not you too."

"Me?" Harry asked innocently, and then he noticed his lunch. "Uh..."

"People are going to think that I'm an abusive girlfriend," Ginny sighed, getting food for herself.

"Girlfriend?" the trio asked together, some louder than others... 'some' meaning Ron and Harry. Ginny glared at Ron, which made him recoil, but said nothing to Harry... in fact, he thought that he saw her blush a bit.

Hermione did not seem at all happy with this, and she watched Ginny carefully through annoyed eyes.

"He knows, you know," she finally said. Ron, Harry and Ginny's head shot up to look at her. Hermione stared at Ginny. "Michael."

Ginny laughed loudly.

"OK. Thanks, Hermione," she said, and she went back to eating her lunch.

Harry and Ron exchanged confused looks before it became awkward again.

"Well... I'm going to class," Hermione finally said. Ron nodded.

"See you there- Ow!"

Hermione grabbed his arm and yanked him up. Ginny stifled a giggle.

"Why are you so strong?" Ron asked Hermione as she dragged him away. "You're a girl- OW! Sorry. Shouldn't have said that. Kinda machist, if you look at it, really."

"Exactly," Hermione praised him smugly.

"You don't have to worry about being an abusive girlfriend with Hermione around," Harry said before he could stop himself. Ginny stared at him in amusement, and he couldn't stop himself from grinning.

"How long until they're together?" she asked, turning away from him finally.

Harry thought about it.

"I think... I think that they might be." Harry frowned and stared at his friends as they left the Great Hall.

"Have they told you about it?" Ginny asked, intrigued.

"No... that's why I said 'I think'."

"Well, you might be right... what about us?"

Harry froze and looked at her, but she was cutting her food, at ease. He put down his knife and fork - she was too close to him and it was giving him butterflies, and he wasn't hungry anyways.

"Are we going to be a couple?" she clarified, putting down her knife and fork.

"Whoa," Harry said before he could stop himself, surprised at her ease of pronouncing those words. But when he looked at her he saw that she was turning slightly red.

"You're not answering and it's making me nervous," she said, avoiding his eyes.

"Sorry!" Harry said quickly. "Yeah, sure... if you... want us to be?" He decided that that sounded wrong as she raised an eyebrow at him. "I-_I_ want us to be," he said.

Ginny beamed at him, but instead of saying anything to him, she turned around and shouted, "Oi, Michael!" The Ravenclaw looked away from Cho at them, and the people surrounding them looked on, all informed of the Ginny/Harry/Michael triangle. Harry was too bewildered to move, less alone hide. "We're over!"

Harry blinked in disbelief as Ginny turned back to her food, looking rather pleased with herself.

"I feel really bad for having caused that," Harry finally mumbled in disbelief, glad that he wasn't Michael. Ginny looked up at him with a slight hint of anger in her brown eyes.

"Oh, don't worry, you didn't cause it, he did, the dirty ba-"

"Whoa," Harry said again. She stopped from swearing and smiled.

Ginny didn't kiss Harry.

Harry didn't kiss Ginny.

They kissed each other.

And neither of them ran away - this time.

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**Not sure whether to do another chapter, and if I do it'll probably be really short and... well, nothing important really.**

**Hope you guys liked it!**


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